Hyderabad's Gandipet gets park and a stunning facelift

HYDERABAD: The Osmansagar, popularly known as Gandipet, will become an important tourist destination in the city on the lines of NTR Gardens, Salar Jung Museum, Golconda Fort and few others in the city. Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) which has taken up the landscape beautification works at Gandipet to make it a tourist destination on completion of its 100 years celebrations has completed the developmental works and is ready for inauguration.

HMDA has developed the lake as an “eco-friendly recreational tourist destination”, and incorporated the latest and best components and integrated them with nature and green cover seamlessly. Over the years, Gandipet lake lost its sheen and glory as there weren’t adequate recreational facilities, previously families used to plan day-long picnics on Sundays and holidays but such gatherings are hardly seen these days.

Gandipet which is around 15 km away from the city, was constructed in 1920 and in commemoration of it, HMDA took up the landscape beautification works for about two years at an estimated cost of `36.50 crore in 18 acres. The area includes an entrance pavilion with 12 identical welcome arches and a driveway with cobblestones, a central pavilion with ticket counters, four-way columns in a semi-circular shape, and 4 metre dia globe installed at the centre, an entrance plaza, walkways and art pavilions, flower terrace, picnic zone in a cocoon shape surrounded by continuous planter box, open air theatre with 1,200-seating capacity, a viewing deck, kids play area and 10 gazebos, food courts and toilet blocks.

The landscape park has been developed without compromising on the water quality and without taking up any activity which affects the quality of the water body directly or indirectly. The HMDA took over the garden from Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) two years ago, located about 200 metres away from the reservoir’s main gate.

The official sources said that HMDA has taken up the landscape beautification works at Gandipet to make it a holiday destination for tourists on completion of its 100 years celebrations.‘’Gandipet Park development by @HMDA_Gov is ready for the inauguration - it has an amphitheater and lots of green open spaces. Well done @arvindkumar_ias and team. Another nice new addition to greening the beautiful city of Hyderabad’’, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), K T Rama Rao tweeted on Saturday.